About the Solidarity Committee

We are education students at SFU who are working together in support of adequate funding for B.C. public schools. We are advocating for our interests as university students during the bargaining process between the BCTF and the BCSPEA.

Read our Statement of Principles and Expectations (pdf) - Adopted September 5, 2014

All SFU education students are welcome to participate and to be involved in the work and decision making of the Solidarity Committee. There are currently two subcommittees:

Solidarity Actions Subcommittee organizes actions in support of the BCTF and public education for all.

Strike Impacts Subcommittee helps facilitate an open and equitable process for addressing student needs as SFU responds to the strike in terms of practicum placements and other student needs.

Send us an email or attend an event to get involved.

SFU student teachers at the Public School Solidarity rally.

Great Turnout for Today's Public School Solidarity Rally

 

Update: Great Turnout for the Rally, Opening Up Communication with SFU, and More

Wow! What a busy week.

It was just last Friday when over 20 education students gathered to form the Solidarity Committee. So much has happened in the seven days since our first meeting!

We have:

• Adopted a statement of principles and expectations (here they are)
• Reached out to the administration to open up communication and a collaborative process
• Held a "Public School Solidarity" rally and picketed with teachers at University Highlands

Through the process, we've had over 1000 page views on our website, shared our message on Global News, CBC Radio, and CBC Television, and formed a partnership with the TSSU (teaching assistants union at SFU).

There has been a lot of progress in opening up communication with the administration. Look for some concrete steps forward on this in the early part of next week.

We also organized ourselves into two subcommittees. One is focusing on Strike Impacts (communication with the administration) and the other is focusing on Solidarity Actions (demonstrating support for public education). All education students are welcome to join and help out with either subcommittee. If you are interested, just send an email asking how to get connected and more involved.

Public School Solidarity Day of Action (Sept 12 @ SFU)

Friday Sept 12, 2014 is a Day of Action for Education Students

SFU student teachers, let's demonstrate our support for public education and the BCTF. Make signs, march, and join the picket line in solidarity with teachers.

• When: Friday Sept 12 - Make signs at 10 AM, march starting at 11 AM
• Where: Meet in the atrium by Renaissance Coffee (outside of the Edu. Building)
• Who: All education students and other SFU allies of public education are welcome

Thank you TSSU for helping organize this event and for printing our fliers. It's great to be working with you!

Update from Today's Solidarity Committee Meeting

At today's lunchtime meeting we decided first to form two subcommittees. One will focus on communication and shared decision making with SFU administration on strike impacts. The other will focus on solidarity actions with BCTF teachers and communication in support of public education.

The following report is from the Solidarity Actions Subcommittee:

We decided to call a "Solidarity Day of Action" to encourage student teachers to join BCTF teachers in solidarity on the picket lines. Working with the TA student union (TSSU), we will organize a day of action on Friday Sept 12.

Meet at 10 AM on Friday Sept 12 in the atrium by Renaissance Coffee (just outside of the Education Building). We will make signs and then march to a nearby public school to join the picket line.

The Solidarity Actions Subcommittee with produce a "Solidarity Guide" to help student teachers navigate solidarity action that respects our role as future professionals (who are not members of the BCTF as student teachers) and the role of the BCTF and teachers.

Global BC News Report

Tonight Global BC covered the public school strike from the perspective of SFU education students. The story included news from the Faculty of Education that all education students may want to know about. Please spread the word about the following new information:

1. The SFU Faculty of Education says that it may negotiate with the TRB to see if students can be credited for other forms of work experience
2. The Dean of the Faculty of Education said that if the semester is lost to the strike, students will get a tuition refund

Text from the Global BC Report

From Global BC:

The current teachers’ strike is claiming another victim, this time it’s also hitting post-secondary students.

Next week education students in universities across the province are waiting to enter public school classrooms to start their teaching practicums. The ‘real world’ experience is integral to them completing their degrees in December and moving into their teaching careers.

But at universities like Simon Fraser in Burnaby, there are almost 250 students who are now waiting and worrying their graduation could be in jeopardy due to the teachers’ strike.

“I’m very anxious and stressed out,” SFU education student Chelse Kirchmayer told Global News.

“Even not being able to have full contact with the person that I’m going to be doing my practicum with is very stressful.”

SFU education students like Kirchmayer and Tom Kertes were set to enter their classroom placements next week to begin their 10 to 12 week practicum. It’s a requirement of their degree in order to graduate in December, but with the public schools closed, they’re worried there won’t be enough time to meet that goal.

“A lot of us have made a lot of plans to be finishing this semester,” Kirchmayer says. “So it’s incredibly stressful to think, what if I can’t finish my practicum and have to come back in 2015 and finish.”

For Kertes he thinks SFU needs to step up for their education students.

“[SFU needs to] say how are we going to make sure student teachers are going to make it,” Kertes says. “And make it so we can get the full practicum, get that certificate on time, so we can go and be teachers in January.”

The Faculty of Education says it may eventually have to negotiate with the body that certifies teachers to see if students can be credited for other forms of work experience.

But as it stands, if students don’t begin their school placements by mid-October, they won’t finish the semester on time — and administrators have said they will pick up the bill.

“If this semester is lost to the strike those students who enrolled and paid tuition this semester  we’d give them a tuition refund,” says Dr. Kris Magnusson, SFU Faculty of Education dean.

“So they wouldn’t be on the hook financially for something that’s out of their control.”

The future teachers say despite the uncertainty caused by the labour dispute, they still hope to work in the public school system. 

~ with files from Tanya Beja

Update from SFU Faculty of Education

SFU sent the following email to students today:

Dear 405/406 Student,  

First, I am pleased to let you know that, as of late yesterday afternoon, we have classroom space for all 369 students who would be out in schools if they were open--this includes EDUC 405/406 students and students enrolled in one of our four school-based modules. This was accomplished with the help of literally dozens of people from across the university.  

Second, I am very pleased to report that we have worked out the first set of contingency plans in response to the current labour dispute in schools. If we are able to start your practicum even as late as October 14th, you will be able to meet all program and certification requirements within the current semester. This may mean that we have to extend the end date of your practicum as late as December 19th, the final day of the fall term for public schools. We continue to work on contingency plans should the start date for your practicum be pushed beyond October 14th. We will advise you as soon as we have that information available.  

As always, we are happy to meet with individuals or groups who have questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me, your Faculty Associate(s), or your Coordinator.  

Solidarity Committee Meeting - Wednesday during Lunch

All SFU Students are invited to attend the next Solidarity Committee meeting. We will discuss the Dean's response to our request for a forum, decide on a decision making structure, and address any other ideas or matters brought forward by those at the meeting.

The meeting starts at 12:05 PM and will be :50 minutes.

We will meet just outside of the Education Building by Renaissance Coffee.

Hope to see you there. Please spread the word...

Response from SFU Regarding Request for an Open Forum

We received a letter from the SFU administration in response to the request by students for an open forum regarding the public school strike.  Unfortunately, the administration's response to our request was marked "privileged and confidential" and therefore cannot be shared on the webpage.

If you are a student at SFU and would like to be added to our email list, please send an email to SFUeducationstudents@gmail.com. We are in the process of discussing by email how to respond to the reply and figuring how to best communicate in a collegial and productive way with the administration.

Help Spread the Word

 Help spread the word by downloading, printing, and posting the outreach flier where students will see it. By reaching out to as many student teachers as possible we can ensure that all voices are heard. Thanks!

• Download the flier (PDF)

Letter Requesting an Open Forum Sent

Thank you everyone who shared feedback and made edits to the letter requesting an open forum.

The letter was emailed today. We will share any response via email, on Facebook, and on this blog.

The final version of the letter is available below:

• View the letter (PDF)
• View the attachment (statement of principles and expectations) (PDF)

Letter to SFU Admin Requesting an Open Forum

Attention SFU Education Students:

A draft letter calling for an open forum by SFU Faculty of Education was emailed out to SFU education students today. If you would like to help revise or provide feedback, please send an email to SFUeducationstudents@gmail.com requesting the link to the Google Doc. The letter will be sent to administration at 3 PM on Sunday. Thanks!

Statement of Principles and Expectations

The statement of principles and expectations was adopted at the March Response Meeting and provides a framework for moving forward.

• Statement of Principles and Expectations (pdf) - Adopted September 5, 2014

Report from Strike Response Meeting

A group of about 20 SFU education students met on September 5, 2014. The meeting included student teachers from the following modules: French, Secondary, IPTEM, and SEEDS. Students from Life Works sent regrets and provided feedback before the meeting. We will continue to reach out to all modules, including modules that just started (the Sept-Aug program).

At the meeting we discussed and reached a consensus on the statement of principles and expectations, initial strategy, and next step in terms of what to request from the SFU Faculty of Education. We also decided to hold off on sending a media release, opting for direct communication with the SFU Faculty of Education at this time.

The draft statement of principles was modified and then adopted in its current form to emphasize that student teachers are requesting that a process of communication and consultation happen before decisions are reached by the SFU Faculty of Education. We also modified the draft to make it clear that students are seeking equitable outcomes through the requested consultation process (equitable in terms of how practicum, graduation, and certification are conducted by the university).

During the discussion about the statement of principles and expectations it was agreed that our first priority and main focus is to open up a free, open, fair, and transparent process for communication and consultation with students.

Rather than try to develop a set of proposals that the committee would present to the administration, our first priority is to get the administration to involve all student teachers in an open forum and an open and fair process of consultation. This will allow for the many needs and points of view to be expressed by as many student teachers as possible. While our first priority is that the university's response to the strike result in equitable outcomes for all student teachers, we think that equity starts with opening up the process of communication and consultation.

The adopted statement of principles is posted on this website, will be emailed to interested students, and will be distributed in paper form as well.

A letter requesting an open forum for all SFU students will be sent to the administration. It was discussed that if the forum is organized as part of the official SFU program (by the university) all students could attend (this seems like the fairest way to start the process of deciding how to proceed - as it will encourage the most possible participation and input).

Finally, it was decided to wait before starting any media outreach. The draft media release was discussed briefly, but there was no need and no time to reach a consensus on this. Also, no media spokespersons were identified at this time (meaning that at this time no student is authorized to speak on behalf of the Solidarity Committee to the media).

Meeting Notice for the Strike Response Meeting

Attention all SFU Education Students:

The current job action will directly affect student teachers in a number of ways - both in the short term as we prepare for fall practicum and in the long term as we enter the profession and work to provide public education for all.

In the coming days important decisions about fall practicum and our eventual certification will be made by SFU and the government. The voices of student teachers should be at the centre of this process.

The best way to ensure that the voices of student teachers are heard is by getting organized and by working in solidarity for public education for all B.C. students.

Let's work together so we can speak with a common voice to ensure that the concerns of student teachers are considered by SFU and the government.

Friday September 5, 2014 at 8:30 AM

Meet at Renaissance Coffee (just outside of the education building)

All education students are encouraged to participate.

Please spread the word to all SFU Education Students.